Blackstone Chambers’ formidable strengths lie in its principal areas of practice: commercial, employment, EU, public law, human rights and public international law. The commercial law work includes financial/business law, international trade, conflicts, sport, media and entertainment, intellectual property and professional negligence. Public law incorporates judicial review, acting both for and against central and local government agencies and other regulatory authorities. It also covers all areas affected by the impact of human rights and other aspects of administrative law. All aspects of employment law, including discrimination, are covered by Chambers’ extensive employment law practice, and Chambers’ EU/post-Brexit work permeates practices across the board. Chambers recognises the increasingly important role which mediation has to play in dispute resolution.

Chambers looks for articulate and intelligent applicants who are able to work under pressure and demonstrate high intellectual ability. Successful candidates usually have a 2:1 honours degree at least, although not necessarily in law.

Chambers offers four 12-month pupillages to those wishing to practise full time at the Bar, normally commencing in September each year. Pupillage is divided into four sections and every effort is made to ensure pupils receive a broad training. The environment is a friendly one; pupils attend an induction week introducing them to the Chambers’ working environment. Chambers prefers to recruit new tenants from pupils wherever possible. Chambers is a member of the Pupillage Gateway.

Pupillage applications should be made via the Pupillage Gateway. Please refer to the Gateway for dates.

Applications are preferred in the year before pupillage commences. We require all candidates for pupillage to have undertaken an assessed mini-pupillage in these Chambers as part of our pupillage recruitment process. We encourage all applicants for assessed mini-pupillage to apply online direct to Blackstone Chambers as early as possible after 21 September 2022. The mini-pupillage applications window will close on 31 December 2022 before the Pupillage Gateway opens for applications in 5 January 2023. Any applicant for pupillage through the Gateway who has not already made an application for mini-pupillage will be treated as an applicant for both minipupillage and pupillage, although we strongly recommend that applications be made early in our mini-pupillage application window.

Awards of £75,000 per annum are available. A partial draw-down of up to £22,500 is available in the BPTC year. As Chambers insists on an assessed mini-pupillage as part of the overall pupillage recruitment process, financial assistance is offered either in respect of out of pocket travelling or accommodation expenses incurred in attending the mini-pupillage, up to a maximum of £250 per pupil.